Linderhof

Gardening, Cooking and Decorating on the Prairie of Kansas

Welcome to Linderhof, our 1920's home on the prairie, where there's usually something in the oven, flowers in the garden for tabletops and herbs in the garden for cooking. Where, when company comes, the teapot is always on and there are cookies and cakes to share in the larder.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Anniversary Dinner for Two

Forty-two years ago, I married my best friend. Our romance and courtship was a whirlwind from a blind date one night to a proposal the next to marriage just a month later. We've celebrated our anniversaries differently over the years. Being married on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving means that every five years or so we celebrate the date not just the two of us but rather with all of the family around the table.

Our anniversary this year wasn't on Thanksgiving (as it was two years ago when we celebrated our 40th) but rather the Saturday after and instead of a romantic dinner in a restaurant, we decided to splurge on a good bottle of champagne and a big steak and have a romantic dinner at home.

The breakfast room is a perfect place for dinner for two. A good damask cloth and napkins, flowers, china and silver.

The china is my grandmothers, Noritake Marcasite. The silver from Jim's grandmother -- her pieces engraved with an "S". The pieces I bought to fill out the set are not! A Waterford champagne flute bought for our fifth anniversary celebration and used every year since whenever we've celebrated at home. The flutes were also used by Daughter Sarah and her Andy for their wedding toast.

Candles lit, classical Christmas music on the stereo and the bottle of champagne chilling.

Some fushia carnations in a silver basket made the perfect centerpiece.

The Waterford champagne glass and the bottle of Veuve Clicquot chilling in the silver wine bucket.

For dinner . . .

A big thick T-bone. Cooked perfectly by Husband Jim on the grill. With a baked potato and roasted asparagus. It was a leisurely meal and a good champagne goes as well with a steak as it does with

A Grand Marnier soufflé which was our dessert for the evening. Timed to come out of the oven as we were finishing dinner.

It was a grand celebration -- just the two of us on this special night.

12 comments:

Many, many congratulations on your wedding anniversry Martha & Jim! What a lovely, romantic way to celebrate, both your food and table look wonderful. Here's hoping you have many more happy years to celebrate together.Sending you both my very best wishes.Rose Hxx

What a beautiful and elegant table and I must add so very romantic. Dinner looked DIVINE!!!!! Walter and I have been married for the same number of years and I'm not sure if I have ever told you this but we too were a blind date. The first blind date that I had ever had and it too has worked out for 42 years. Now your story is amazing with first a blind date, then a request for marriage the next night and married in a month. WOW!!!!!

Sincere congratulations to you and your husband on your anniversary, Martha...What a lovely table you set with your grandmother's beautiful dishes, beautiful flowers, candlelight and delicious looking food. You have me beat. Paul and I were not engaged until 5 weeks after our first date and married 3 months later. If he were still alive, it would be our 39th anniversary. We considered ourselves old when we married. We were 27!

Wow -- that could be a near world's record for courtship and marriage! How wonderful.Howard and I had our first date, decided to get married about 6 weeks after that, and were married less than a year later. We are SLACKERS compared to you and Jim!

You both obviously knew a good thing when you met it. Him. Her. You know what I mean.